Manufacturing
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Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales rose for a third straight month as they increased 0.3% to $71.4 billion in December.

The agency says the increase came as 12 of 21 subsectors climbed higher with sales of petroleum and coal up 3.4% and food product sales up 1.9%.

However, in constant dollars, overall manufacturing sales fell 0.8% in December.

In a separate report, Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, fell 0.2% to $83.6 billion in December.

Wholesale sales were down in three of the seven subsectors, including a 2.1% drop in the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector and a 2.8% decline in the building material and supplies subsector.

In volume terms, wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, fell 0.8% in December.